Onathallu - An Important martial art form of Onam festival

<H3>Onathallu</H3><img src='http://www.SpiderKerala.net/attachments/Resources/7757-28167-mjhj.jpg' alt='ghgf' align='left' style='padding:10px'>Onathallu is a martial art form that is associated with the Onam festival of Kerala. I hope most people are familiar with the name Onathallu. It is performed only in some parts of Kerala. This art form is performed only by men. So now you may be able to understand the importance of this game. Onathallu is belived to have originated from Kerala's own martial arts Kalari. So in general when we speak about Onathallu remember that it is a martial art form. The skills are passed from generation to generation. That means father to son, maternal uncles to nephews etc. In Kerala, Kunnamkulam is considered as the famous centre of Onathallu. In some places of Kerala, Onathallu is popularly known as the <B>Avittathallu</B> as it is conducted on the Avittam nakshathra of Onam festival. People who participate in this Onathallu show their spirit to the maximum extent. Remember that this social skill mainly tests the stamina & physical power of the combatants. The speciality of Onathallu is that it is a bare handed fight & so the combatants without using any weapons fight each other. Another important point regarding Onathallu is that the persons who participate in this event are dressed in dhotis or plain white cloth. The wrestlers should have a flexible body so that it will be helpful for winning the game. Onathallu is also known as <B>Kayyamkali</B>. This is because it is a martial art form using hands only & hence it got the name. It is believed that in the past the upper cast people started this art form for entertainment. Actually this is done to show the strength of the persons who are participating in it. In the courtyards of old tharavad there were places for practicing this Onathallu. Good training is required for the persons to participate in this art form. If not, it may cause dangerous situations to the participants. Learning Kayyamkali is not an easy job. It takes several years for the people to learn this art form. The participants should strictly follow the instructions & regulations of the game. That means personal revenge is not allowed here. Very high self control is required by the participants who perform this Kayyamkali. The entire game is controlled by a referee (otherwise known as chayikkaran). Almost all people are familiar with the fact that every game is controlled by a referee. The responsibilities of the referee include taking decision of the game, rights to control the game & also should know some immediate treatments incase of emergency. There is a boundary for performing this art form & the performers should perform the art in the space provided itself. They ahould never use their legs for performing. <H3>2011 Onam festival & Kunnamkulam</H3>In the 2011 Onam festival, there will be an Onathallu contest at the <B>Jawahar stadium</B> in Kunnamkulam. Definitely it will be an attractive event. Several efforts were taken by people to save this martial art form from extinction.